Ex-Cult – s/t LP

Known for live show intensity and being taken under the wing by Ty Segall himself, this debut EX-CULT album on Goner Records is the perfect way to close out our year.

If you don’t already know the story, these guys formed in Memphis in 2011 and things took off from there. With the exception of changing their name from Sex Cult to Ex-Cult because of a lawsuit, these guys evolved like any other band playing shows around town – until Ty Segall caught them live and decided to record their album. So after two singles on Goner and a third on Nashville’s Dead, they’re finally offering their debut full-length right before the end of the year.

If you have not encountered this album yet, it doesn’t take a long time to figure out why everybody is talking about their live show. We haven’t been able to catch them ourselves, but this sounds like one of those rare cases where the bands performance converts flawlessly into their recorded material. Think something along the lines of OBN IIIs with a more bloody, sinister post-punk edge and rawer vocals. Listening to opening track “Knives on Both Sides” should answer all of your burning questions. The song unfolds quickly, exposing a gritty wall of sound comprised of raspy, blown-out vocals, sharp, angular guitars and a overarching level of sonic energy that extends from start to finish. With a track like that, one can’t help but imagine an absolutely devastating live performance.

The album carries on with this sort of lethal pattern, serving up twelve different snarling tracks that each have a mind of their own. It doesn’t seem out of the question to compare some of the shorter ones like “Day to Day” or “Cemetery Secretary” to something in the realm of Useless Eaters. “Shade of Red” or “Future Victims” go to show how these guys can vary their sound while staying within the sloppy confines of jagged post-punk. “Future Victims” closes the album in a smoking fit of rage, trailing off into a wave of dark and dire uncertainty before reemerging one last time to deliver the final, crushing blow.

Act now and you can get the LP on red vinyl from the Goner Records store – it won’t be around forever so don’t sleep! Also, with the exception of our year-end lists, this will be our final review of 2012. Stay tuned for next week when we’ll be posting our TOP THIRTY 7″ RECORDS OF 2012. Get psyched.

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Welcome to the Styrofoam Drone! This is a daily updated music blog based in Philadelphia. Ranging from lo-fi psych to garage punk rock to electronic and everything in between, you're bound to find something special. We use a simple formula here: if we like your material, you'll know it and we'll post it.

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